How to Activate a Blacklisted iPhone and successfully bypass blacklist restrictions

Unfortunately, many people discover that they need to find a blacklist solution to activate blacklisted iPhone.

The last thing you imagined is that the used iPhone you just bought could come with some hidden issues. Whether you purchased it from an Apple store or an e-Store; you expect to start using an iPhone as soon as you buy it. But this won’t be possible if the IMEI number of the device was placed inside a national blacklist.

As you will soon discover, the first thing you always want is a Blacklist Check the only way to reveal the circumstances that led your iPhone to this situation and of course, the solution.

Updated On 07/12/2019

What does it mean that an iPhone is blacklisted?

Most people do not fully understand how the blacklist functions and the truth is it can affect your iPhone at any time.

A blacklisted iPhone refers to a device that has its IMEI number blocked from making & receiving calls and sending & receiving texts. Several issues can land an iPhone on the blacklist, and each determines how to remove it from there.

You will come across a lot of information about unlocking blacklisted iPhones. One claim is that blacklisted but at the same time SIM Unlocked iPhones can work abroad and the blacklist only remains in effect in the country where the iPhone became blacklisted.

While this is true, currently more and more blacklist databases are shared across borders. A good example is USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil & Puerto Rico.

Also, another misconception is that the blacklist only affects used iPhones.

Why do iPhones End Up Blacklisted?

While most cases of blacklisted iPhones usually are used, even original owners can still experience this issue. The reasons why your iPhone might become blacklisted are:

If you lose your iPhone (or simply gets stolen) and let your Carrier know about it, they will blacklist the device as lost or stolen.

Similarly, if you lost your iPhone and had previously insured it. You can place an insurance claim for a replacement, and when it goes through, the lost iPhone’s IMEI will become blacklisted.

Some iPhones also end up blacklisted if used for fraudulent activities.

You bought the iPhone from a mobile network and you have a couple of pending bills or installment plans. Depending on the terms, the Carrier may block your iPhone at any given time for outstanding financial balance. Despite the fact that your iPhone, in this case, is considered as blocked or barred, the outcome is exactly the same.

Now you could end up with a blacklisted used iPhone for any of the listed reasons when you buy it online or even by a local retailer. You might even use the iPhone for a while only for one day to find the infamous “no service” icon in place of your network’s signal.

Another important thing really worth noting is that SIM unlocked iPhones can still become blacklisted. Blacklisting is not a process isolated to only SIM-locked iPhones, and any of the reasons outlined above can place the blacklist restrictions on either a simlocked or unlocked iPhone.

How to Activate a Blacklisted iPhone

More than likely, the first thing you did was contact the seller, but you might not have been successful getting a refund or a working iPhone instead.

Particularly in the case of scams orchestrated by the seller, he/she will never cooperate to help with the matter. In some instances, the seller is the iPhone owner, but he reports the iPhone stolen after selling it to you. They do it to place an insurance claim that gets him a replacement iPhone as well as your money.

This leaves you to go through every possible option available to attempt to remove your iPhone from the blacklist.

As you can see, figuring out the reason behind your iPhone’s blacklist is essential. It not only helps you determine if it can be removed but most importantly whom to approach to help with the process. Therefore, all roads lead to starting out with a Blacklist Check to find out every underlying issue about your phone.

Can you bypass Blacklisted iPhone restrictions with the Mobile Network’s Help?

Another critical reason why you need an iPhone blacklist check is to find out which carrier blacklisted your iPhone. This applies to anyone with a used iPhone since there is no other way to know this information.

Of course, you will have to fulfill the mobile network’s requirements to activate blacklisted iPhone. It either means making pending contract payments so that they can unblock your device or reporting that you found your lost iPhone back. Of course, don’t expect this to happen if you already got a replacement device unless you return it back.

Unfortunately, negotiating with the Carrier is not an option if you are not the original owner.

Can Apple blacklist an iPhone?

Based on the reasons discussed above, you might be able to activate a blacklisted iPhone or not based on the particular blacklist status and availability of services. For unfinished payments, as explained, completing them will solve the issue only if you are the original owner.

It is worth noting that not only networks can blacklist an iPhone, but also Apple. This will happen when an iPhone gets stolen directly from a store or warehouse. In this case, Apple will immediately place the device under Chimaera Policy and unfortunately, there is no way to activate a blacklisted iPhone under Chimaera Policy.

IMEI Blacklist Check: The best way to start

Before you go, I have to emphasize the importance of a blacklist check before trying, depending on the situation, to unlock or unblacklist a blacklisted iPhone.

There are services available for many networks around the world though they can get suspended or reactivated at any given time without prior notice, but unless you are 100% confident about the full state of your device and have previous experience, it is best to leave the entire process to the experts.

You have already experienced the frustration of buying an iPhone on the blacklist. Please don’t make things worse by getting a non-existing service or failing to activate it because you chose the wrong one.

Hey, I am Makis. I am a Chemical Engineer and as it’s natural, I was fascinated with iPhone technology since the release of the original iPhone. In 2013, I bought a used iPhone from an online market but it turned to be locked and I didn’t know what to do in order to use my SIM Card. Despite being a tech freak, I spent too much money and time trying out fake services and iOS exploits until I found UltraSnow.EU and managed to unlock my iPhone with success. Soon afterward I became part of the team in order to help people like me through Quora or here and right now iPhone Unlocking is my cup of tea!

4 comments

ShivakumarSeptember 2, 2018 - 4:14 am

I have taken an iPhone 6s in Japan. After reaching to India, when I use my iPhone with an Indian sim, it is showing sim not supported, carrier lock due to blacklists… How can I activate my iPhone 6s?

Hey Shivakumar.
First of all, which carrier blacklisted your iPhone 6s and why?
An iPhone IMEI Check will show you all the issues your iPhone might have! You should not try to unlock it without IMEI Checking it first.
It will be impossible to unblacklist your iPhone because all Japan Unblacklist iPhone Services are not functional at the moment.
But if your iPhone is blacklisted by SoftBank Japan, you can SIM Unlock it and use it in India and anywhere else worldwide except Japan.
If you need further help, send me the IMEI Check Report to tell you if your iPhone can be unlocked (do not include IMEI & Serial)
Take care Shivakumar!